G. L. Pridgen
Encyclopedia
Gaston Layton Pridgen, known as G. L. Pridgen (born ca. 1944), is a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly
and the North Carolina House of Representatives
. In the House of Representatives, he represents the 46th District, including constituents in Hoke
, Robeson
and Scotland
counties. A retired telecommunications technician from Laurinburg
, North Carolina, Pridgen also has experience in the United States Military.
. His career with Southern Bell Telephone Company, which later became BellSouth Telecommunications
and then AT&T
, was interrupted by two years of service in the United States Army
. Drafted into the army, he served as a communication lineman in Vietnam
with the rank of Specialist-5, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
In 1994, he started his own telecommunications company, The Communications Company, Inc., providing telecommunications to local businesses. In 2009 he began working in the IT Department at Southeastern Regional Medical Center.
on whether to make English the official language of North Carolina. He was also a primary sponsor of bill H219 which aimed to keep stricter records of registered sex offenders in the state. Pridgen nominated Dick Taylor to serve on the University of North Carolina
Board of Governors. Mr. Taylor was among eight of sixteen nominees approved by the NC House and is now serving on the Board. Pridgen also served as Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-committee on Education. In this role, he supported a motion that would allow extra tax revenue to help fund the University of North Carolina system schools.
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
and the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
. In the House of Representatives, he represents the 46th District, including constituents in Hoke
Hoke County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 46,952 people, 11,373 households, and 8,745 families residing in the county. The population density was 86 people per square mile . There were 12,518 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
, Robeson
Robeson County, North Carolina
Robeson County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010 it had a population of 134,168. Since then, it has been one of the 10% of United States counties that were majority-minority; its combined population of American Indian, African American and Latino residents comprise over...
and Scotland
Scotland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 35,998 people, 13,399 households, and 9,674 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 14,693 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
counties. A retired telecommunications technician from Laurinburg
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Laurinburg is a mid-sized city in Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Scotland County. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina state border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews Presbyterian College...
, North Carolina, Pridgen also has experience in the United States Military.
Education and career
Pridgen was born in Robeson County, where he graduated from Littlefield High School and studied at Robeson Community CollegeRobeson Community College
Robeson Community College is a community college located in Lumberton, North Carolina.The college is also known as RCC and was established 1965. Situated in a campus of more than it offers degrees, diplomas, and certificate programs in addition to distance learning programs.There are currently in...
. His career with Southern Bell Telephone Company, which later became BellSouth Telecommunications
BellSouth Telecommunications
BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC is the Bell Operating Company of AT&T that serves the southeastern United States. It absorbed the operations of South Central Bell in 1992....
and then AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, was interrupted by two years of service in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Drafted into the army, he served as a communication lineman in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
with the rank of Specialist-5, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
In 1994, he started his own telecommunications company, The Communications Company, Inc., providing telecommunications to local businesses. In 2009 he began working in the IT Department at Southeastern Regional Medical Center.
House of Representatives
Pridgen is currently serving his first term as Representative for District 46 of North Carolina. In the House of Representatives he is active on seven committees. These are the Agriculture committee, the Appropriations committee (both Appropriations and Appropriations of Education, for which he is Vice-Chair) and the committees on Education, Judiciary (and Judiciary subcommittee B), and Public Utilities.Views
Pridgen has been the primary sponsor of eleven bills and has co-sponsored twenty-eight other bills, including H475 which authorizes a referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on whether to make English the official language of North Carolina. He was also a primary sponsor of bill H219 which aimed to keep stricter records of registered sex offenders in the state. Pridgen nominated Dick Taylor to serve on the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
Board of Governors. Mr. Taylor was among eight of sixteen nominees approved by the NC House and is now serving on the Board. Pridgen also served as Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations Sub-committee on Education. In this role, he supported a motion that would allow extra tax revenue to help fund the University of North Carolina system schools.